Stress-strain recording instrument



Filed Ma`ICh l0, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l T INVENTOR Nov. 17, 1936. R B LEWIS 2,061,383

STRESS STRAIN RECORDING INSTRUMENT Fi1ed March 1o, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 64a gil f7 INVENTOR W055i? 7,5 EW/S ATTORNEY Patented Nov..17, 1.936

UNITED STATES' STRESS-STRAIN RECORDING INSTRUMENT Robert B. Lewis, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March lil, i934, Serial No. 714,948 s claims. (ci. ess- 2.)

'I'he present invention relates to apparatus for making stress-strain records of a specimen subjected to stress in a testing machine, and more particularly to the recording of the structural behavior of a'specimen subjected to tension or compression.

Recording instruments of this general character are usually operated electrically by tracing a record of the behavior of a specimen under test upon a record sheet-carried by a movable drum which is driven by a succession of electrical impulses initiated by variations of the specimen dimension brought about by the testing operation. The difficulty in translating test specimen variations through such electrical impulses is that heretofore it has not been found possible to provide positive synchronization oi the electrically responsive devices with the initiating control means. As a result an initiating impulse may be so feeble as to fail to operate the responsive device or if strong enough to start the responsive device it may be interrupted so that the responsive device cannot complete the record for which it was started.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide an Iimproved recording apparatus for use with testing instruments and machines; to provide an electrical control for a recording apparatus wherein each initiated cycle of operation is completed in full regardless of any variation or change in the initiating mechanism during such cycle; to provide means for .accurately recording the behavior of va specimen under test and making the records under uniform conditions; to provide means associated with an electric initiating mechanism wherein a predetermined rotation of the drum of a novel recording device will be made for each electrical impulse; to provide an initiating apparatus for recording devices wherein the apparatus automatically sets itself in response to a specimen test before the control for the recording mechanism starts to operate and whereby thereaiter it is impossible to alter the set condition of the apparatus until the completion of the particular recording operation corresponding to that set position ofthe initiating apparatus; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l represents diagrammaticaliy a recording apparatus .embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a detail in side elevation of an intermittent mechanism employed in conjunction with a magnetic control for carrying out certain movements; and Fig. 3 represents a plan of the same.

Referring to the drawings one form of the present invention is shown as applied for use with an extensometer I which is mounted in test position upon ya specimen II and is adapted to respond to the behavior of the specimen under tension or compression tests. While any type of extensometer embodying terminal contacts of an electrical circuit can be used with the apparatus of the present invention itis preferred to use that here shown which generally consists of an L- shaped body i2 having a clamp I3 for fixedly engaging the specimen at one point and a second clamp lll formed as a part of a pivoted lever I5 for engaging the specimen at another point. The lever i5 carries a contact i6 forming 'one terminal of an electric circuit, while the other terminal is in the form ci a contacter II carried by an arm iii which is freely -suspended intermediate its length upon a pivot 20 on the lever I5. A spring 2i is stretched between the free end of the lever iii and a fixed point and functions to draw the contactor il! toward the contact I6. A control push or pull shaft 22 is attached at 23 to the arm it and is threaded through the body I2 so thatv according to the direction of its rotation it will move to restore the arm i8 to its normal position. Normally the end of the shaft rests against a lug ii on the lever i8 between the pivot-20 and the place of attachment oi the spring 2|, and this bearing point acts as a fulcrum about which the lever iti turns when moved by the lever I5. Thus under tension tests the movement of the shaft 22 will be in the direction to open the contacts i6 and lli while under compression tests the movement will be in the opposite direction to close the contacts i6 and il. In other words the shaft 22 serves to restore the initiating control to its normal position immediately following a tension or compression setting thereof. In effect' this is a micrometer adjustment operating to close the contacts if the device is operating on closed circuit, and to open the contact if the device is operating on open circuit.

For operating this adjustment or restoring means the shaft 22 preferably receives its motion through a reducing gearing 25 from a driven shaft 2C. As here shown the shaft 26 rotatably supports two sleeves 2l and 26 in spaced relation to receive between them a trunnion 36 which is made fast to the shaft 26 by a pin 3i or like fastening means. Journalled respectively upon two opposite ends or" the trunnion 35i are two bevel gears 32 and Si which are in mesh on one side with a bevel gear 3i 4fast to the sleeve 2i, and on the other side with a bevel gear 35 fast to the sleeve i8. Motion is transmitted to the sleeve ii'i by a step-by-step mechanism including a ratchet 36 keyed to the said sleeve 2li, which mechanism is under the control of av motor 3i. Motion is transmitted to the sleeve 28, in a direction opposite to that of the sleeve 2l, by a step-,by-step mechanism including a ratchet 38 keyed to the sleeve 23, which mechanism is under the control of a motor 40.

For recording the variations in length of the test specimen as transmitted through the control mechanism, a recorder 4I of any well known type using a rotatable drum 42 and a pencil or stylus 43 can be used and wherein the pencil 43 is arranged to travel lengthwise of the drum by means of a carriage 44 traveling at a rate accurately proportioned to the stress imposed by the testing machine As here shown the drum shaft 45 is driven through a gear train 46 from a driven shaft 41 which serves as a journal for two sleeves 48 and 49 carrying respectively two bevel gears and 52 in opposed relation and spaced by a trunnion 53 fastened by a pin 54 to the shaft 41. Two opposite ends of the trunnion 53 lrespectively journal bevel gears 55 and 56 meshing respectively with the gears 5| and 52 to form an epicyclic form of gearing. The sleeve 48 has keyed, or otherwise secured thereto, a ratchet 51 arranged to drive the shaft 41 in one direction, while the sleeve 49 has a ratchet 58 keyed thereto to drive the shaft 41 in the reverse direction. The two ratchets 51 and 58 are respectively actuated by step-by-step mechanism driven in the one instance by a motor 68, and in the other instance by a motor 6|.

VIn the present instance all of the motors 31, 48, 68 and 6I are of the same construction embodying a novel escapement and therefore the description will be directed to the details of one motor as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and like parts of the other three motors will beidentied by like reference numerals. Each motor therefore consists of a pair of electro-magnets 62 with which is associated an armature 63 pivotally carried by a fixed post 64 at a point intermediate the armature length. The rearward projection of the armature 63 is arranged to be engaged by an abutment screw 65 which has the dual function of a positioning stop for the armature and also of adjusting the airgap between the magnet pole and the armature. The screw 66 is supported by an extension bracket 66 and can be adjusted and locked by nuts 61. 'I'he bracket 66 also mounts a second adjusting screw 69 which acts as a stop for a pawl 68 during a movement of the latter to move the ratchet 58. This pawl 68 is pivoted at 18 to the armature 63 and is normally held pressed downwardly against the upper face of a tooth of the ratchet 58 by means of a spring 1| stretched between the offset arm 12 of the pawl 68 and a iixed part, such as the bracket 66. A second ratchet operating pawl 13 is pivoted at 14 to the opposite end of the armature 63 from the pawl 68 and in operating position engages the ratchet 58 several teeth removed frorn the point of engagement of the pawl 68. An arm 15 of the pawl 13 is connected by a spring 16 stretched to connect with the pawl 68 at such a position as will draw the pawl 68 toward the pawl 13 whenever it passes beyond the end of a ratchet tooth. Whenever the magnets 62 are energized the armature 63 will have a limited movement in a counter-clockwise direction which will cause the pawl 13 to have a work stroke of a length to turn the ratchet 58 approximately one half a tooth. Simultaneously with this movement there is a drawing back of the pawl 68 until it clears the then supporting ratchet tooth whereupon it drops to the next tooth so that when the magnets 62 are deenergized the return movement of the armature 63, under the pull of the spring 1I, will cause the pawl 68 to complete the turning of the ratchet through the remaining one half of a tooth. In this connection it should be noted that the stop 69 is adjusted with respect to the pawl 6 8 to denltely contact therewith at the end of the stroke of pawl 68 to prevent over-running of the ratchet 58 at the end of a movement. Likewise a stop 11 is xed in the path of the pawl 13 and has an inclined face 18 so disposed as to form a seat against which the pawl 13 abuts when preventing an over-run at the end of each step movement. This construction serves as a locking means whereby the ratchet 58 cannot over-run after being actuated by reciprocation of the armature 63. n

When the extensometer |8 is set to respond to a tension test the contact I6 and contactor I1 are normally apart so that the initiating circuit is open and is ineffective to influence the recording and restoring mechanisms until this circuit is closed. This initiating circuit includes a conductor 88 from contact I6 to a contact 8| controlled by a contactor 82 carried by the pivoted armature 83 of a relay 84. energized a spring 85 maintains the armature 83 in contact making position so that the aforesaid circuit continues by conductor 86, secondary 81 of a step down transformer 88, conductor 98, the coil of a second relay magnet 9|, and thence by conductor 92 to contactor I1. Under tension test conditions the two motors 48 and 6| are arranged to operate in synchronism and are selected for operation by manually throwing a reverse switch 93 to the full line position shown in Fig. 1. The motors 48 and 6| being connected in parallel are controlled by the following clrcuit: Switch 93, conductor |81, through the windings of the two motors 48 and 6| to common return conductor 95 leading to`contactor 96 on movable spring 91, contact 98, conductor |88, secondary coil 81 to conductors 86 and |8I to armature lever |82 of relay 8| to contactor |88, contact |88, and conductor |89 back to the switch 93. 'Ihe foregoing circuit is directly controlled by the terminals 96 and 98 and indirectly or selectively controlled by the terminals I 88 and |88 depending upon whether the relay 8| is energized or deenergized. A spring |86 is stretched to retract the lever 82 when the relay magnet 9| is deenergized and thereby make the contact between contactor |83 and the contact |84.

When the extensometer I8 is to function under compression tests the contact between the terminals |6 and I1 of the initiating circuit is normally closed and the initiating circuit therefore controls only'when open. The recording and restoring mechanisms are now operated in a reverse direction to that for a tension test and the two motors 31 and 68 are in control by reason of the switch 93 having been manually moved to the dotted line position. The circuit from switch 83 now leads by conductor 94 to the two motors 81 and 68 and thence by conductor 95 to the control contactor 91 and continues as before through the armature lever |82 to the contactor |83. At this point since the initiating circuit is open under compression of the test piece the contactor I 83 is against the contact |84 so that the circuit is completed by conductor |85 to the switch 93.

For the purpose of preventing any interference by the initiating circuit with a set condition of the control circuit during a compression test, provision is made for short circuiting the contact I6 and contactor |1 to close the initiating circuit until the set condition has completed its recording operation, and to that end a conductor I|8 leads from the conductor 92 to a spring arm con- With the relay deacci-,css

tactor I arranged in opposed relationto a xed contact 2 which is joined by a conductor ||3 to a contact ||4. This contact H4 is located to be engaged by a contactor ||5 carried by the armature lever |02 when the latter is shifted by the energization of relay 9|. At that time the circuit is completed through the armature lever |02 and a connecting wire to the conductor 86. This forms a shunt across `the contacts i6 and il of the initiating circuit and will cause the mechanism to continue to operate ii the initiating contacts separate while the periodically closed contacts and liz are closed. As soon, however, as the cycle is nlnished and contacts lli and lli separate, the circuit will be broken and the relay will release the armature so that the circuit can only be energized further by the initiating contacts and not by the subsequent closing of. the periodically closed contacts Ill and M2.

To prevent the opposite condition from occurring and thus starting the mechanism during a cycle, instead of at the beginning thereof, an arrangement is provided whereby, unless the initiating circuit is closed at the beginning oi. a cycle,

it will be broken at an additional point so that the closing of the initiating contacts l@ and il cannot start .the mechanism before the cycle has been completed. For this purpose a relay has been. provided in the initiating circuit, with contacts 8| and 82 and a coil iid, when energized, opens the circuit. This coll is in a circuit that extends from the lower side oi the transformer secondary 81, through line |722, period;- cally closed contacts 52| and the coil dil, line lll', contacts H6 and i l5 (the latter oi which is on the armature |02), and line lill bach to the center tap on the transformer secondary. in operation, when the initiating contacts it and il are open the armature |02 will be released and moved by a spring lilli into a position in. which it will close the contacts and l i t. 'Under this condition when contacts |20 and are closed,

as they are during a cycle of the timing mechanism, the coil 84 will be energized and the armature 83 moved to part the contacts tl and @il and break the initiating circuit so that the closing of. the initiating contacts I6 and il can have no effect. On the other hand, if the initiating contacts close between cycles, the contacts llt and ||0 will be parted and the secondary circuit will be out oi operation.

'in order to simultaneously operate the three control contactors 9G, |20 and lll, three cams |23, |24 and |25 are keyed to the same shaft |26 and each has two diametrically located dwells |27, |28 and |29. All of these dwells are preierably alike as to length and radial offset, and are so designed as to permit each controlled circuit to be closed for an appreciable instant so that an operating impulse is assured each time a contact is made. The shaft |26 is continuously rotated at a determined constant speed by a small iractional horse power motor |30 energized directly from the electricity supply line |3| through the conductors |32 and |33. The line |3l supplies current to the primary coil |34 of the transformer 88 while the secondary coil 8l is tapped as explained for diierent operating voltages. switch |35 serves toconnect the apparatus to the source of current supply.

In describing the operation of the system it will rst be assumed that a tension test is to be made and therefore the switch 93 will be manually set to the full line position of Fig. 1. Under such tension test the stress-strain detector or extensometer is set with the contact |6 and contactor spaced apart so that the initiating circuit is normally open and the magnet 9| therefore deenergized in order that the lever arm |02 may be held by its. spring |08 in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the contacts |04 and ||6 respectively in contact with contactors |03 and H5. When the specimen elongates under the tension test the lever' I5 is rocked clockwise so that the movement transmitted to lever |8 causes the contactar ll to contact with vthe contact i8 and close the initiating circuit, and as a result the relay magnet 9| is at once energized and the control lever arm |02 is shifted to close contacts |03 and |98 and l l5 and lli). As a result the control circuit for the recording and restoring mechanisms is open only at the contacts 96 and 98, while the holding or short-circuiting circuit is open only at the contacts iii and lli. Since the shaft |26 is rotating continuously at constant speed one of the dwells |27! will `almost immediately bring contacter S6 against contact 539 while simultaneously dwell |293 will bring contacter il against contact M2. Therefore the restoring circuit which is controlled by the contacts Slt and @il is closed and an impulse is simultaneously transmitted to the relay motors fill and tl and in the one instance makes a record of the test and in the other operates the restoring mechanism so that the shaft 22 rotates in a direction to restore the arm/itl to its normal position with the contact il out of contact with the contact lil. At the instant the dwell lill' closes the main control circuit the dwell closes the circuit including contactor l lll so that the extensometer contacts lil and il are short circuited and the magnet el remains'energized to hold the arm |02 in its position closing'the two circuits of which contacts lill and Hi8 are respectively the terminals. Therefore when the control circuit is once started in operation nothing that happens to the contacts it and can in any way effect the completion oi that recording or restoring operation. This is a very important operation in that electric recording mechanisms as heretofore employed have been open to errors due to uncontrolled impulses. Thus, an initiating circuit might be closed for such a fractional time as to transmit such a weak signal that the control circuit would not respond iully enough to make a complete recording though it might start to do so and never nish its operation. By the present invention any operation of the initiating circuit is utilized and insures the control circuit being fully closed to carry out this predetermined function.

At the same time that the dwells |2l, and |29 are closing the circuits which each oi them control the dwell |26 is closing the contacts |20 and l2|, but the circuit inwhich these contacts are located is open between contacter H5 and contact llt so that the circuit still remains open and nothing can happen.

When it is desired to make a compression test the extensometer is set with the contact I6 and contactor il together so that the initiating circuit is normally closed and the magnet 9| energized so that the lever arm |02 is now held in a position with the contactor |03 against contact |08 andcontactor ||5 against contact H4. When the specimen diminishes in length the lever l5 is swung counter-clockwise and causes the lever I8 to open the contacts I6 and so that the initiating circuit is deenerglzed and the arm |02 immediately swings to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the control circuit is now closed except for the open contacts 96 and 98. It should, of course, be understood that the switch 93 has been changed from the full line position of Fig. 1 to the dotted line position and therefore when the dwell |21 closes contacts 96 `and 98 the control circuit Ais closed by way cf switch 83 and motor relays 31 and 60 so that the recording mechanism is operated on the one hand and the restoring mechanism operated on the other. In this case, however, the vrestoring mechanism turns the shaft 22 in the opposite direction so that the spring 2| causes the lever I8 to again close the contacts I6 and I1. Under thisv compression test, however, the cam |24 is in control of the initiating circuit and at the instant the dwell |21 closes the control circuit the dwell |28 closes the contacts |20 and |2I and thus energizes the magnet 84 so that the arm 83 is shifted to break the contacts 8| and 82. Since these two contacts 8| and 82 are in the initiating circuit the contacts I6 and I1 have no control over the initiating circuit whether they are closed or open sincel this circuit cannot be completed until the recording and restoring mechanisms have fully operated from the previous impulses.

While only a single form is shown in which this invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specic construction, but might be applied to various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my claim:-

1. An indicating mechanism for stress-Strain recording that comprises a recorder, driving means for periodically actuating the recorder comprising an electric-motor Yand a means for periodically supplying electric current thereto, a control device responsive to the stress in an object under test for controlling the operation of said driving means, and means for rendering the control device ineffective during and only during the actuating periods.

2. An indicating mechanism for stress-strain recording that ,comprises a recorder, driving means for periodically actuating the recorder comprising an electric motor and means for periodically supplying electric current thereto, a control device comprising means to break the circuit that supplies current to the electric motor responsive to the stress in an object under test for controlling the operation of said driving means, and means for rendering the control device ineffective during and only during the actuating periods.

3. An indicating mechanism for stress-strain recording that comprises a recorder, driving means for periodically actuating the recorder comprising an electric motor and means for periodically supplying electric current thereto, a control device comprising electrical relay means operated by the closing of control contacts, means to break the circuit that supplies current to the electric motor responsive to the stress in an object under test for controlling the operation of said driving means, and means for rendering the control device ineiective during and only during the actuating periods.

4. An indicating mechanism for stress-strain recording that comprises a recorder, driving means for periodically actuating the recorder invention, I

Vcomprising an electric motor and means for periodically supplying electric current thereto, a control device comprising electrical relay means operated by the closing of control contacts. means to break the circuit that supplies current to the electric motor responsive to the stress in an object under test for controlling the operation of said driving means, and means for rendering the control device'ineffective during and only during the actuating periods, said means comprising an electrical device for forming-a shunt around the control contacts during the period of supply of electrical current to the driving means if the control contacts are closed at the beginning of period.

5. An indicating mechanism for stress-strain recording that comprises a recorder, driving means for periodically actuating the recorder comprising an electric motor and means for periodically supply electric current thereto, a control device comprising electrical relay means operated by the closing of control contacts, means to break the circuit that supplies current to the electric motor responsive to the stress in an object under test for controlling the operation of said driving means, and means for rendering the control device ineffective during andonly during the actuating periods, said means comprising an electrical device for forming a shunt around the control contacts during the period of supply of electrical current to the driving means if the control contacts are closed at the beginning of period and an electrical device for maintaining a separate break in the circuit containing the control contacts during the period for supplying electricity to the motor except when the control contacts are closed at the beginning o the period.

6. A stress-strain mechanism comprising a strain detecting means arranged to be attached to a test piece, an initiating electric means controlled by said detecting means, a recording instrument, means including a control device responsive to said initiating means for periodically operating the recording instrument, and an apparatus for automatically rendering said initiating means ineilective during periods of operation of said recording instrument.

'7. A stress-strain mechanism comprising a strain detecting means arranged to be attached to a test piece, an initiating electric means actuated by said detecting means, a periodically acting devicefor restoring said initiating means to its original condition following an actuationv recording and restoring devices.

8. A stress-strain mechanism comprising a vstrain detecting means arranged to be attached to a test piece, an initiating electric means having terminals actuated by said detecting means, a recording instrument, means including a control device responsive to said initiating means for periodically operating the recording instrument, an apparatus for automatically rendering said initiating means ineffective during the periods of operation of said recording instrument, and a device for restoring said terminals to original position following an actuation by said detecting means.

ROBERT B. LEWIS 

